The automotive industry has used of interior trim components such as composite plastic door panels comprising a polyvinyl chloride outer shell. See for example the trim components disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,403. The acceptance of such components has been because interalia this type of construction permits a wide latitude in styling, color, and grain effects which are most desired particularly in the interior design of automobiles.
A pre-formed vinyl shell is made from dry thermoplastic powder particles which are applied to a heated shell mold from a powder box to form a continuous monochromatic one piece shell. Two or more colors of thermoplastic powder from separate compartments of charge boxes may be applied to heated shell molds in separate portions thereof to provide a one piece shell with two or more color tones to enhance the decor of the interior of an automobile. This type of system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,025, issued Dec. 31, 1985 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,151, issued May 15, 1991, both in the name of Gray and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. A problem with this type of apparatus and method is that the height of the divider wall is fixed and therefore requires a fixed shaped charge box divider wall and also straight and vertical engagement of the two-tone sealing assembly at the mold's two-tone line. Furthermore, such systems do not permit sealing mold divider ribs that are inaccessible to straight line vertical divider wall sealing systems of the type shown in the aforedescribed '025 and '151 patents.
The prior art shows that movable partitions in other types of molds are known, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,068, issued Jun. 15, 1982 in the name of Hemery. The patent relates to a method of molding containers from two different plastic materials of different color wherein the material is injected into a space provided between the walls of a mold and a counter mold. Removable separators define first and second subspaces within the space to allow different color injection. However, such movable separators are not suitable for sealing mold divider ribs of the type shown in the '025 and '151 patents especially when such ribs are inaccessible to straight vertically aligned sealing systems.